Vacuum cleaning-machine.



J. B. KIRBY.

VACUUM CLEANING MACH|NE..

i APPLICATlON man SEPT. 15. 1913. 1,265,789. Patented May14,1918.

' V a SHEETS -SHEET 1.

Fri-Es T m l/Yr LYB. KIRBY.

VACUUM CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED sings. 191s.

Patented May14,1918

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. B. KIRBY.

VACUUM CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 15, i913.

I Patnted May14,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

6 9 l l I l ll -=-r, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

VACUUM CLEANING-MACHINE.

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented May 14., 1918.

Application filed September 15, 19-13. Serial No. 789,746.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES B. KIRBY citizen of the United States, residing at dleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of- Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Cleaning-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a vacuum cleaning machine comprising an improved supporting and controlling mechanism sub stantially as hereinafter shown and described. and more particularly pointed out in the claims. In general the object of the invention is to provide elevating and lowering mechanism and spring tension means to fix and maintain the nozzle end of the machine in eiiicient suction relations with the surface to be cleaned, and the propelling and guiding parts for the machine also coact with such mechanism and means to produce satisfactory operating results.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine with the upper end of the handle broken away and the dust bag removed, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine with a portion of the dust bag in place. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the machine, and Fig. 4 a sectional elevation thereof. Fig. 5 is a rear view of the machine without the handle and dust bag the elevating mechanism being shown in cross section. Fig. 6 is a detail view on line 66, of Fig. 7, of the handle mounting, including a spring connection, an adjustable connection, and a stop for the handle. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of this mounting and a part of the casing vertically on the line of the handle, and Fig. 8 is a detail view of the notched end of the ha'ndle yoke.

The machine comprises a motor and fan casing having a base section 2 adapted to ride on wheels and to be propelled and guided by a handle. This base section contains a fan chamber and a collecting nozzle, the latter having a downwardly facing elongated inlet mouth, and the fanchamber having a laterally projecting outlet connec-.

improvements are not limited to cleaners ggssessing this feature. Also the nozzle may equipped with brushes, or the like agitating mechanism, though the present invention is not strictly limited to cleaners so equipped. However the height of the nozzle above the floor does have a decided effect upon the operation of'the brushing devices and one of the features of this invention is a device for adjusting this height. Accordingly I have illustrated a cleaner having a brush chamber 7 above the inlet mouth, and provided with suitable shaft bearings 13 at its ends and middle. for the rotatable brushes 14. The bottom peripheral surfaces of these brushes are substantially flush and parallel with the bottom edges of the nozzle and these edges sustain an elevated position above the floor, more orless, as conditions may re-' quire. However, the carpet or other article which is being cleaned is usually lifted into engagement with the nozzle and the brushes by the suction of the fan, and the chine comprises two main wheels 15, 15

mounted upon laterally extending axle projections at opposite sides of the casing near the center of gravity. of the machine, and a single wheel 16 carried by a crank arm 17 pivotally mounted at the rear of the machine as by being secured to one side of elbow 9. The vertical segment of crank arm 17 has gear teeth 18 engaged with a small pinion 19 which is aliixed to the stem of a hand wheel journaled to the casing at one side of the crank arm pivot. This wheel has a flanged rim-provided with a set of notches 21 in its edge adapted to interlock with a decasing 2 about the fulcrum afiorded by the axes of wheels 15, andv the detent 22 and notches 21 fix the parts in set relation. This arrangement permits the nozzle end of the casing to be adjusted and fixed in different spaced relations with the floor or surface over which the machine rides in order that proper suction may be obtained on difierent kinds of surfaces. However, the suction at the nozzle tends to tilt the casing to lower the nozzle with a corresponding reduction or cut-off of the air gap or space between the nozzle and the iioor. his tendency is overcome by interposing a spring connection between the casing and the handle at by which it is operated, preferably between the casing and the yoke 23 of this handle, and arranging this spring so as to tend to lift the handle, whereby a rearward or downward pull on the handlewill tend to lift the nozzle. The preferred construction comprises a convolute spring 25 secured at its inner end to a fixed segmental plate 26 on lug -27 of easing 2, and hooked at its outer end to the flange of a cupped disk 28 sleeved to rotate on the axle screw or bolt 29 of one or the wheels 15, see '4'. Disk 28 has a slotted flange engaged y a projection 30 struck up from one leg of yoke 23, and the spring 25 exerts a lift action in opposite directions to the casing :2 and the handle 2a. in other words the nozzle is constantly raised from the floor by the spring, and the handle tends to spring to an upright position. A down pressure on the handle increases the sprin tension to uphold the nozzle, but a laterzil projection 31 on the segmental plate :26 fixed to the side ot the casing opposite the open side of disk 28 serves as a stop to limit the lowering of the handle relative to the casing. Spring 25 is also utilized to retain the yoke 23 in pivotal connection with bolt 29, a notch 33 being provided in the yoke end to engage the reduced portion 3a of the bolt 29, and the spring exerting its tension to hold the yoke upon the bolt through the medium of lug 30 and the disk 28. By this arrangement this end or the yoke may be attached and detached without removing the disk and the wheel opposite thereto. A direct tilting action to the casing by the handle is avoided by pivotally connecting the yoke to the aisle bolts oi the main wheels 15,hut in cleaning stairs or furniture it is desirable to fasten the casing immovably to the yoke 23. This result is accomplished by clamping the yoke 23 to the segmental flange 37 by a headed screw 35 and thumbnut 36 on one leg of the yoke 23. Yoke 23 is also provided with a split socket 88 to receive the tapered end 39 of the handle 2%, and a screw 40 having a lever ll pivoted eccentrically thereto serves to clamp the socket upon the handle and perrnits convenient removal of the handle. Removability of the handle requires a separable electrical connection for the motor as the electrical cord connection 4:2 for the motor is also carried by the handle. Therefore this connection l2 has a tree and flexible end depending from the handle with one member l3 of a separable plug attachedv thereto. The other member tl of the plug is mounted upon the upper casing section 1 which contains the electric inotor l5 and supports the suction fan 46 its bottom. Section 1 is made removable to give access to the tan charnloer in section 2, and the separable plug for the electrical motor connections facilitate separability of the said sections.

W hat ll claim is:

l. A suction cleaner comprising a nozzle section tiltahly mounted upon a support an ranged substantially midway 0t itslength and having at its forward part a transversely-extending, downwardly-facing, elongated inlet mouth, a handle pivotally connected to said section, and spring tension means connecting said nozzle section and handle and adapted to rock the nozzle section and lift the nozzle from the surface when the handle is moved from uprightto operating position.

2. In a suction cleaner, a tiltable casing having a nozzle formed at its forward part with a transversely-extending,downwardlytacing, elongated inlet mouth, supporting wheels journaled to said casing substantially midway of its length with their axes parallel to said inlet mouth, a handle pivoted to said casing upon an axis transverse to said handle and parallel to the wheelanis, and a tension device between said handie and casing arranged totend to raise the inlet mouth from the door when said handle is held in operating position.

3. in a suction cleaner, a tiltable casing having a tan chamber, and an electric motor located above said tan cham oer, a collecting nozzle beneath said fan chamher at one side and having a transversely-extending, downwardly-facing, elongated inlet mouth, supporting wheels journaled to said casing with their axes parallel to said inlet mouth and spaced rearwardly therefrom, a handle pivoted to said casing upon an axis transverse to itseli and parallel to the wheel axes, and a tension device hetween said handle and the casing arranged to raise the inlet mouth from the door when said handle is held in operating position.

l. ln a suction cleaner, a motor and fan casing having a nozzle formed at its torward part with a transversely-extending, downwardly-facing, elongated inlet mouth, a pair of wheels pivoted one on each side of said casing at the rear of said nozzle and 'ranged to support said tiltable casing a cove the door, said wheels being located substantially beneath the center of gravity or the casing,,a handle having a yoke pivoted to said casing upon an axis parallel with the axis of said wheels, and a convolute spring interposed between the casing and yoke and arranged to tend to draw said nozzle and handle together upwardly.

5. In a vacuum cleaning machine, a suction device and a casing therefor having a nozzle, a pair of wheels pivoted one on each side of said casing, a handle having a yoke pivotally connected with said casing, a cupped ruenaloer rotatahly mounted concentrio with said yoke pivot, a convolute sprin connecting said member and the casing and interengaging connections between said member and said yoke.

6. In a vacuum cleaning machine, a cas- I ing having a pair of oppositely extending axle projections, supporting wheels rotatably mounted upon said projections, a handle having a yoke with a notched end pivotally and detachably connected with one of said projections, and a spring connected to said yoke and casing and arranged to hold said yoke upon its projection.

7. In a vacuum cleaning machine, a casing having a pair of oppositely extending axial projections, supporting walls rotatably secured upon said projections, a handle having a yoke one arm of which is vpivoted to one of said projections and the other arm of which is formed with a notched end engaged with the other of said projections, a member rotatably mounted upon said last named projection and detachably engaged with said yoke, and a convolute s ring connecting said member and easing an arranged to rotate such member in a direction to raise the yoke, said yoke having its notch on the side toward which the tension of the spring tends to move it and arranged to be detached from said projection without disconnecting the spring from said member and easing.

8. In a vacuum cleaning machine, in combination, a casing having a nozzle, a pair of wheels ivoted one on each side of said casing in the rear of said nozzle and approximately beneath the center of gravity of said casing, a third wheel carried by said casing in the rear of said first wheels, means parallel with the axes of said first wheels,

and resilient connections between said handle and easing arranged when said handle is depressed to tend to raise said nozzle from the floor and depress said third wheel.

9. In a vacuum cleaning machine, a casing having at its forward part a transversely-extending downwardly facing elongated inlet mouth, a pair of carrying wheels pivoted one on each side of said casing in the rear of said inlet mouth and approximately beneath the center of gravity thereof, a rear supporting wheel carried by said casing, the plane which is tangent to said wheels passing a substantial distance below said inlet mouth, a handle pivoted to said casing upon an axis parallel to said carrying wheels, and resilient connections between said handle and easing arranged, when said handle is held inoperating position, to hold said rear wheel on the floor and prevent the casing being tilted forwardly by the suction.

' In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES B. KIRBY.

Witnesses:

F. C. MUSSUN, E.-M. FISHER. 

